The body of Timothy Cunningham, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention epidemiologist missing since February, has been found. Cunningham's remains were found this week in a river in Atlanta.
His remains were only recently identified.
Found In The Chattahoochee River
Timothy Cunningham's remains were found in the Chattahoochee River in northwest Atlanta on Tuesday, April 3. Cunningham disappeared on Feb. 12 after saying that he was sick and then proceeded to leave his Atlanta office.
The Atlanta Police Department announced the results of the medical examiner on Twitter. In the tweet, it said that the Fulton County Medical Examiner's Office identified the body recovered in the Chattahoochee River as Timothy Cunningham. It also announced a press conference that would go into further detail about the investigation.
When Cunningham disappeared, he left all his belongings at his home, including his dog. At the time of his disappearance, police were baffled by what they called an extremely unusual set of circumstances. In his home, they found his keys, phone, a wallet containing his credit and debit cards and identification, and they even found his passport.
Cunningham was 35 years old at the time of his disappearance. The morning that he disappeared, he talked to his sister and was told by a supervisor about a promotion that he didn't receive. Cunningham also informed his coworkers that he was disappointed he wasn't promoted to branch manager.
News of the failed promotion gained attention in news media. It gained so much attention that the CDC had to release a statement condemning the reports as false. In the statement, it said that Cunningham had in fact received an early promotion for his outstanding work. It also praised Cunningham in the role to which he was promoted.
After Cunningham's disappearance, police offered $10,000 as a reward for any clues regarding Cunningham's whereabouts. During this time, there was false information spread about the disappearance of Cunningham. Posts online presented Cunningham as a flu vaccine whistleblower. As a result, his family and police had to debunk the stories as a myth.
During the morning of his disappearance, his mother said that she received a text from Cunningham. In the text, Cunningham asked if she was awake at 5:21 a.m. At the time of the text, his mother's phone was on silent mode, and she wasn't able to answer it. He also called her at 9:12 a.m., and she also didn't answer.